Microalga improve the growth, yield, and contents of sugar, amino acid, and protein of tomato

Abstract

The development of sustainable ways to increase crop productivity is essential to meet the growing demand for food. Microalgae are rich in bioactive molecules and can be produced on a large scale and at a low cost. Therefore, we hypothesized that the microalga Asterarcys quadricellulare (CCAP 294/1), a rich source of free L-amino acids, can increase the growth and yield of tomatoes. To determine the potential of A. quadricellulare, we performed a two-year study by applying A. quadricellulare biomass using a foliar spray on tomato plants. In the first season, weekly applications were performed during the full cycle of tomatoes. The effect of A. quadricellulare biomass of 0.05, 0.15, 0.25, and 0.40 g L-1 on tomato yield was determined through regression analysis. In the second season, the solution of 0.25 g L-1, which showed the best results, was tested on two tomato cultivars using a weekly and a biweekly frequency of application. Both cultivars were positively affected by the application of biomass, which promoted the increase in leaf area and yield, along with higher contents of sugar, free amino acid, and protein. Thus, we determined the role of A. quadricellulare as an effective biofertilizer in tomatoes.

Asterarcys Quadricellulare Triggers Bioactive Amines Promoting Sugarcane Sprout and Growth

“…Its aminogram shows the content (%) of L-AAs: Aspartic acid = 3.32; Glutamic acid = 4.27; Serine = 1.66; Glycine = 1.54; Histidine = 0.71; Arginine = 2.17; Threonine = 1.45; Alanine = 2.41; Proline = 1.6; Tyrosine = 0.95; Valine = 1.81; Methionine = 0.51; Cysteine = 0. 29; Isoleucine = 1.41; Leucine = 2.36; Phenylalanine = 1.37; Lysine = 2.11; Tryptophan = 0.37; totaling a value of 90.94 mg g − 1 of total free AAs, which corresponds to 9% of free L-AAs by weight; also, a value of 37.94% protein was identi ed in this biomass (Cordeiro et al 2022). For this determination, 0.2 mg of dry biomass diluted in 1.7 mL of 80% ethanol was used to prepare an extract, of which 1.0 mL was diluted in distilled and deionized water to conduct the colorimetric reaction (Winters et al 2002).…”

Use of microalga Asterarcys quadricellulare in common bean: a sustainable alternative to mitigate water stress

“…The main species of microalgae described in the literature with biostimulant action are Chlorella sp., Acutodesmus dimorphus, Scenedesmus sp., Spirulina sp., and Calothrix elenkinii (Colla and Rouphael 2020). In addition, Asterarcys quadricellulare is a chlorophyta microalgae that have a high content of proteins and free amino acids, with promising results as a growth promoter in potato (Cordeiro et al 2022a), onion (Cordeiro et al 2022b), tomato (Lara et al 2022) and sugarcane (Mógor et al 2022).…”